Meet Ian Webb | Communications Director & Brand Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ian Webb and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ian, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up, my grandfather was an artist, but most importantly, he was my idol. Everything he did in his professional world always turned to gold, and he was respected and admired by his peers, his community, and also his students (he was also an art teacher).

For the longest time, I didn’t think I had any artistic ability in my body (I can’t even draw a stick figure!), but it wasn’t until late high school/early college that I discovered that I do have a creative bone in my body, but it doesn’t materialize through a traditional ink/paint on paper format. I found that I love (and like to think I’m good at) digital art, graphic design, and branding. Telling a story through a digital screen is an important part of any good brand, and I’m honored that so many brands and nonprofits have entrusted me to build out their presence. And I know that my grandfather watches over everything I do, and I hope that he looks down on me with joy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The path to where I’m at now has definitely been pretty non-traditional. My first job in college was working at an apartment community as a leasing assistant, a job that going into it I thought would be a fun college job and let me meet some cool people. What was a “part time” job quickly turned into far more than that when our property manager took an amazing opportunity at a different company and left, leaving the remaining staff to keep the building afloat. I learned so much about business management, marketing, etc. from my time at that job, and it was at that time that I finally decided on my major in college: advertising.

I worked a few more jobs, all within customer service/consumer marketing realms, throughout college and during grad school, took a job at the University of Georgia while I completed my Master’s degree. That job taught me how much I really enjoyed working in higher education & nonprofit fields, and without that role, I wouldn’t be where I am today. After I completed my Master’s program, I took a job with a statewide nonprofit in Georgia to run marketing, membership, and the 501(c)3 educational foundation, taking me back to my roots of working in an educational setting.

After several great years at that association, life presented a great opportunity to join the team at Georgia State University where I now serve as the Director of Communications for the University Library, a 6-campus wide library system with over half a million physical square feet with millions of physical items, plus a multi-million+ catalog of digital collections.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I think my favourite thing about Atlanta is the food scene. As a foodie, I’m a sucker for a good restaurant, and I’m even more drawn in if the ambience is right. Some of my favourite places in the city are La Tavola Trattoria in Virginia Highlands, Politan Row at Colony Square (check out Pretty Little Tacos and Gekko Sushi, I promise you won’t be disappointed), Yumbii (an amazing Asian-fusion taco shop in Brookwood Hills), and I’m a sucker for the local Atlanta chain, Willy’s Mexicana Grill.

I’m not a huge party person, so I like to keep my world pretty calm. Some of my favourite places to spend an afternoon are Little Shop of Stories, a great independent bookshop in Decatur, hanging out & reading in Piedmont Park, exploring new shops in Atlantic Station, and yes, like any good millennial, wandering the aisles of Target.

I’m also a member of High Museum of Art, and really enjoy checking out what’s on display. Currently the Obama Portraits Tour is passing through, and I’m very much looking forward to visiting that display in about a month.

One final place I love to spend time is Criminal Records in Little Five Points. My world revolves around music, and I love being around other music enthusiasts and finding some new artists that I wouldn’t have necessarily found in my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
All of the teachers that I have had over the years. Whether it’s family, friends, or actual teachers in school, the people that have pushed me to do the best that I can do really deserve the kudos here.

Website: ianwebb.com

Instagram: @internetian

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/iancrwebb